John vatjghan sherrin



No. 622,549. Patented Apr. 4; i899. J. VAUGHAN SHERRIN.

ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application filed Aug. 28, 1897.) (No Model.)

NITED STATES PATENT union.

JOllN VAUGHAN SHERRIN, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 622,549, dated April 4, 1899.

Application filed August 28, 1897. Serial No. 649,852. (No model.)

To (ti/Z whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN VAUGHAN SHER- RIN, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Connected with Apparatus for the Production and Utilization of Acetylene Gas, (for which Letters Patent have been granted in Great Britain November 26, 1897, No. 26,897; in France September 6, 1897, No. 270,233; in Belgium September 6, 1897, No.

130,486; in Austria April 1 1, 1898, No.

48/2095; in Italy December 31, 1897, No. 46,267, and in Canada April 18, 1898, No. 59,060,) of which the following is a specification.

A series of vessels each containing a charge of car-bid of calcium in small pieces are used as generators of acetylene gas, and each charge is exhausted or the gas evolved therefrom passed into a gas-bag before the next of the series is filled with Water. The generators are made of a size convenient for handlin g and are by preference adapted for quick attachment to and detachment from the lower part of the water-supply vessel, a tap being provided for each. These tapsare opened one by one, as required, and the gas evolved passes up through the water under pressure due to the generation of the gas and then into the gas-bag, so as to expand it at a low and safe pressure. The bag may be provided with a weight or springs, as required, to cause itto tend to collapse. From the bag the gas is passed through a chamber filled with Wiregauze or shot to prevent the issuing flame from striking back. Instead of a bag I may use a telescopic or other gas-holder. As the bag collapses (or the bell descends) a fresh carbid vessel is connected by opening its tap to the water-supply vessel. The taps are turned on automatically one by one.

The generators may be supplied to the customers charged with the carbid and returned for recharging, or if of a cheap form may be thrown away when the carbid charge is exhausted.

My invention is very applicable to motorcars. All handling of the carbid is avoided and the gasbag forms a light and convenient store for gas for a limited period of time.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a side view of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a side view of an electrical device for rotating the apparatus. Fig. 3 is a side view of a mechanical device for the same purpose, and Fig. 4 is another electrical device for the same purpose.

Fig. l shows a Water-cistern A, (or combined water-cistern and gas-holder,) mounted in a frame D and caused to rotate by worm E and worm-wheel F. To the cistern A at suitable places are secured taps II, to which are detachably secured the vessels B holding the calcium carbid. G is a stop on the frame for opening one tap 1-1 after another as they come around, thus connecting one fresh car bid vessel after another with the wateucistern A, the generated gas rising through the water to the top of the tank A, said taps H remain ing open. K, Fig. 1, is the gas-outlet pipe to a gas-bag 0, Figs. 2, 3, and 4,. It is provided with a gas-tight rotatable joint. The shaft of the worm E is put in motion whenever by the collapse of the gas-bag a clutch on the said shaft is by electrical or mechanical connections caused to engage with and be driven by the carriage-motor or other axle. The water acting 011 the carbid produces gas having sufficient pressure to overcome the head of water at the entrance to the holders and the back pressure from the gas-bag.

In Fig. 2 the gas coming from the pipe K, Fig. 1, enters the gas-bag O, which is shown as partly inflated. When deflated or collapsed, the contact 0 will touch the contact I and close an electrical circuit wherein the electric motor L is included and cause it to rotate, and with it its shaft E, which is the worm-shaft E of Fig. 1, thereby rotating the worm-Wheel F and water-cistern Anntil a tap H comes against a stop G and is opened, so as to admit water into the carbid vessel B. As the gas is evolved the gas-bag 0 will be inflated, the circuit broken, and the motor L stopped until the gas in the bag 0 is consumed and the bag collapsed. M is the gas-outlet pipe, with regulator N.

. In Fig. 3 the worm-shaft Eis provided with a clutch-half Q on a shaft R, which'is driven from the, motor-car axle. The clutch-halt Q is pushed into engagement .with the clutchhalf P,when the gas-bag collapses, by means of the cord T and the lever U. The contacts Ice C and I in this case are mere mechanical stops to limit the motion of the gas-bag O.

In Fig. 4 the collapse of the bag 0 closes the electrical circuit by means of the contacts C and I, and thereby magnetizes the keeper'P of the clutch P Q, so that the worm-shaft E will be rotated from the shaft R, which is driven from the motor-car axle. V and W are metal contact-drums fixed on the shaft and insulated therefrom and by wires connected with each end of the wire-coils of the electromagnetic clutch P. The brushes X and Y press against the drums V and W.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- 1 1. An acetylene-gas generator comprising, a revoluble cistern adapted to be partly filled with water, a plurality of carbid holders, means controlled by the rotation of the cistern to successively connect said holders with its water-space, a driving mechanism for the cistern, and appliances controlled by variations in the pressure of the gas generated adapted to throw said driving mechanism into and out of operation.

2. In acetylene-makin g apparatus the combination of a water-cistern, a series of carbidcontaining generators attached to the lower part of it, means for slowly. rotating the cistern, taps for connecting the cistern with the generators and a stop for opening one tap after the other as required as the cistern rotates, substantially as set forth.

' 3. In acetylene-makingapparatus the combination of a water-cistern, a series of carbidcontaining generators attached to the lower part of it, means for slowly rotating the cistern by the collapse of the gas-receiver, taps for connecting the cistern with the generators, and a stop for opening one tap after the other as required as the cistern rotates, substantially as set forth.

4. In acetylene-making apparatus the combination of a water-cistern, a series of carbidworm-wheel on the water-cistern, a worm gearing with it on a shaft, a shaftarranged in line therewith and rotated continuously, a clutch for connecting both shafts and a connection to the gas-receiver for actuating said clutch and rotating the worm, the worm-wheel and the water-cistern when the gas-receiver collapses, substantially as set forth.

.5. Arevoluble cistern adapted to be partly filled withwater, calcium-carbid holders, connections between the latter and the waterspace of the cistern, taps in said connections, and a driving mechanism for rotating the cistern and successively operating the aforesaid taps, substantially as set forth.

6. A revoluble cistern adapted to be partly filled with water, calcium-carbid hold'ers, connections between the latter and the waterspace of the cistern, taps in said connections, a driving mechanism for rotating the cistern and successively operating the aforesaid taps, and appliances controlled by variations in the pressure of the gas generated, adapted to throw said driving mechanism into and out of operation, substantially as set forth.

7. A horizontally-rotating cistern, carbidholders secured to the periphery of said cistern near its bottom, means for automatically rotating said cistern and means for automatically controlling the generation of gas, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination of ahorizontally-rotating cistern carryinga series of carbid-holders on its periphery, and means for revolving the same, with a gas-controlled gas-holder, a revolving clutch mechanism controlled by said gas-holder and adapted to be thrown into and out of contact with the cistern-revolvin g mechanism, substantially as set forth.

JOHN VAUGHAN SHERRIN.

\Vitnesses:

Z. JENSEN, W. M. HARRIS. 

